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Mt. Ashland plants will get closer review Fish and Wildlife officials will inspect 2 varieties after request from group opposed to expansion By Paul Fattig ASHLAND � The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will conduct a comprehensive review of two rare plants found on Mount Ashland to determine if they should be protected under the federal Endangered Species Act. The decision to conduct the review came in response to petitions filed last fall by the Rogue Group Sierra Club. The environmental group, which has opposed a plan by the Mount Ashland Association to expand community-owned Ski Ashland atop the mountain, had asked that Henderson�s horkelia and the Ashland lupine be listed as threatened or endangered. The agency is required by law to decide whether a petition to list a species contains substantial information to warrant a full review, said Rowan Gould, acting regional director of the agency�s Pacific Northwest region. "Service biologists found the species do require a full review," he said. "This is the first step in the process of deciding whether to list these species." Although Steve Johnson, Ashland Ranger District project leader for the proposed expansion, had not been notified of the agency�s decision late Tuesday, he said it was not unexpected. The review�s outcome could affect the Forest Service�s decision on the expansion proposal, he added. "It�s certainly something we would consider," he said. "We will be working closely with Fish and Wildlife in regards to any possible listing." Recognition of the rarity of the plants is a major step, said Tom Dimitre, an executive committee member of the club. "It�s great news that Fish and Wildlife Service feel these plants warrant listing," Dimitre said, adding that listing the plants would affect the outcome of the proposed expansion. Hendersen�s horkelia is a perennial herb found in the Siskiyou Crest area from Mount Ashland to Dutchman Peak. Although there is also an isolated population of the plant about eight miles south in the Klamath National Forest, the total population covers only 189 acres, according to the Fish and Wildlife Service. The Ashland lupine is found only on the western flank and summit of Mount Ashland. Its sole population grows on 74 acres of the mountain. Both species are threatened by human activities such as ski area construction and facility expansion, according to the Fish and Wildlife Service. The agency has asked the public to submit information it has about the plants to: State Supervisor, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Oregon State Office, 2600 98th Ave., Suite 100, Portland, OR 97266. Deadline for comment is Sept. 11. The public will have an opportunity to comment on any proposed listing before a decision is made, officials said. Expansion proponents say the ski area needs to grow to provide more skiing space as well as to upgrade ski structures. But opponents say the planned expansion, in addition to threatening the rare plants, would cause serious erosion problems and damage the fragile watershed which supplies the city of Ashland. The Forest Service is expected to make a decision on the proposal later this year. Obituaries | Sports | Business | Classifieds | Tempo | Prime Times | So Oregon Sites | Outdoor Journal | Subscribe | Contact | Movies | Advertise | Real Estate Showcase | Archive | Editorials | Letters to the editor | Religion | Wake-up Call | NIE | Cyber Chef | Job Network | So Oregon Weather | WSJ Northwest | Forums | AP Wire | AP Money | F.A.Q. | Awards Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. The Community Newspaper Subsidiary of Dow Jones & Co, Inc Copyright �The Mail Tribune 2000, Medford, Oregon USA